


The In Crowd

by tomarksomething (indeepthought)



Category: Produce 101 (TV), Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dystopia, Daniel and Jisung are The Best Besties Ever, Everyone Is Ranked By Popularity, Fake/Pretend Relationship, I havent forgot about this, I'll Add Things In The Tags As I Go, M/M, Slow Burn, To be updated soon, We'll get there, long fic, not yet explicit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-02
Updated: 2017-08-02
Packaged: 2018-12-10 03:24:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11683008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/indeepthought/pseuds/tomarksomething
Summary: In the future, society is ranked by popularity, everything you do and say affect your place in the ranking.Kang daniel is a Nugu, someone below the Top 60% on the popular scale, and he wasn't that much upset about it, until the announcement that the university of his dreams will only accept applications from people over from the Top 35% and up. Now Kang Daniel will have to do anything to climb up the rankings with the help of his best friend Jisung. And perhaps a group of popular kids will help them get there too.





	The In Crowd

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, I'm planning on a long fic, I've been with this story for far too long in my head and finally decided to write it and post it, so I hope you read and enjoy. Please leave your thoughts about it, I would love to hear from you all, English is not my first language so feel free to point out any grammatical atrocities you find.

Beijing was the first city in the world to implement the Ranking System. It was a hopeful shot in the dark, maybe a last hope in saving what is left of humanity, no one knew how it would actually effect the people, the Regulation had researched all the possible psychological and social effects of course, it was a bold movie for Beijing, but it was also a success. In three years, violence had decreased over 70%, the citizens thought it was a fair system, they loved it, they thrived on it.

By then, The Regulation had been so involved with the politics they basically ran the city and with barely opposition, their world was law. Marveled by the miracle solution, other countries started a run trial of the Ranking System on their major cities, including Korea. It's been twelve years since the system was implanted in Seoul, some people say they couldn't imagine the world without it. Well, for me it sucks being a Nugu.

I check myself one last time in the mirror and glance at my position displayed on my semi new holodrone. _Kang Daniel #6.269.514 (4,684 down)_. I cringe. Hard. Even as I watched it it fell by another eighteen. Seoul had a bit over ten million active players, but you can only play when you reach fourteen years old, I've only been playing for three years when there are people out there with four times that.

"Choose a good filter for me and upload it, please" I tell Peach, how I call my holodrone, after taking a quick selfie, its likes will help my ranking a bit.

That's how it works, well, sort of. Every social media traffic is transmitted to the Mainframe, a super computer with the most sophisticated artificial intelligence on Earth, it is responsible for providing everyone's ranking second by second. But not only social media has weight, the Mainframe also counts your school grades, your work, your social status, your skills. Basically, the Mainframe is a bitch.

I ride my magnetic board to school as usual, feeling the cool wind hitting on my face, it is a relaxing feeling, one I know won't last for long. Today is an important day, one I shouldn't be late on.

“It's an important day, you shouldn't be late.” Jisung tells me even before I jump from the board in the school's parking lot.

“I was thinking exactly that.”

“Of course you were, I can always read you, one of the reasons why we are best friends, you can never lie to me.” He punches lightly on my left arm and I laugh along, he is right, I can never lie to him since we are children. Our moms were college friends before mine moved to Canada, when she came back pregnant she found Jisung's mom in the same state, they decided our unending friendship from day one and we became inseparable.

“Are you nervous?”

I looked into the distance “A little.”

“Daniel, you'll get into Hanyang university, don't worry. I will help you study, I'll make you flashcards!” I turned to him, staring. “And strawberry milkshakes, we can't study without strawberry milkshakes.”

That got a smile from me. “Of course we can't.”

I activate my lens, so I could see everyone's rankings on top of their heads, as we marched in the hall. This school had too many Nugus, unfortunately, Jisung and I shared that label. I side eyed him. _Yoon Jisung #6,598,214 (7,834 down)_. My heart clenches a little, gosh, he is even worse than me. I was being selfish, he sure would be nervous too, today wasn't just about me, it was about all of us.

“I'm sorry, how you're holding up?” His expression was completely open seconds ago but now I see his adam's apple bob up and down, his forehead creasing, tongue moistening his lips before speaking, making time.

“I'm f-fine, I'm going to meet the requirements, you'll help me study as I will help you study.” we're at our lockers, I unlock mine with my fingerprint and start digging for my stuff. “Last year's cutline was at five million, it's a couple months away so I think if I try hard enough I can pull that off.”

“We will help each other out, even we have to live stream your life for two straight weeks.”

“Hey,” he hit me again, “I'm not a livefreak, and who the hell would like to see me drooling in my sleep or taking the trash outside or whatever. I would get a million dislikes that's what would happen.”

“You should, with that face.” We turn at the same to see who had said that. The floating numbers and letters above his head is the first thing I see. _Kim Taedong #4,601,215 (9,641 up)_. My least favorite person in the city, great. “I heard you're into robotics.”

I don't see how that is any of his business. “Hm... yeah. So?”

“Don't talk to me like that, I'm older than you.” Taedong said leaning against a locker.

“And I'm older than you, why don't you go to your class?”

My head turned in a flash to Jisung's. He had never talked like that with this guy before, it was extremely unusual, I was caught off guard, it was not like him at all.

Taedong's eyes were bright, his distaste for Jisung obvious. Well, that hadn't changed. “You know what, screw it,” his hands rose in the air and he gave a few steps back. “I was actually trying to do something nice for once.”

We watched in shock as he disappeared down the hall. “Something nice?” I wondered out loud.

“Don't believe him, he is just messing with us, as always.” Jisung shut his locker with too much strength. “Let's get going.”

What just happened was pretty weird, Taedong had always picked on us since the beginning of high school, he and his friends even beat us up a couple years back just for being Nugus. I shake my head, clearing my thoughts, Jisung was right, he was probably trying to get into our heads or something.

Thankfully, we had Software and Hardware for first period, I almost forget the meeting while helping around the other students with their projects, I had finished mine last week already.

“Thank you, dude” _Takada Kenta #6,697,045 (2,687 up)_ I briefly checked as I saw him looking above my head too.

“No problem, just be careful with the code next time.”

“Will do.” I move to get away but he stops me with a hand on my wrist. “Wait, I will give you a boost.”

“Oh, okay” I'm not used to get them, but I'm not gonna tell him that.

The boy's holodrone was floating above the computer and with his command, a holographic screen appeared. Kenta's fingers touched the thumbs up, the booster symbol, and shoved it in the air in my way.

“Done,” he looked above me again and pressed his lips “You got sixty eight positions up, sorry, mine don't worth much.”

“It's fine, thank you a lot.” His tiny smile was shy as I moved away to ask another student if they needed help. By the end of class, I had gained two more boosters, my mood was getting better. Until I spotted Jisung in the back of the class we shared, I knew something was up.

“What's wrong?” I took the seat beside his, the class hadn't started yet, some students were chattering away, others playing some online game in the holograms projected by the holodrones.

A small sigh escaped his lips “Just Taedong, he is being a prick, don't worry.”

“Tell me, hyung.” I wasn't worried but seeing how he was trying to hide it from me I moved around in my seat, getting closer to him.

“He said everyone at work suspects my dad is cheating on my mom, he overheard his mom talking about it with his dad. He just threw it in my face the whole first period, saying he was a dirty cheater, asking if I was going to be one too.”

I was lived, Jisung grabbed my shoulder as I was about to get up and make my way out. “Sit down, seonsaening is here.”

The students hurriedly disconnected their games and moved to their seats.

“How dare he?” I hissed.

“It's fin-”

“Don't bullshit me!”

“Mr. Kang, mind the language, or do you want to get reprehended?”

Teachers could suck the life out of your ranking with their _rpns_ as we called it.

“No, I'm sorry seonsaenim, I was out of line.”

“Good, don't make that mistake again. Now can someone tell me when Noah's Ark Legislation was brought forth by the Regulation?”

“We need to do something about him.” Several students raised their hands as I whispered to my friend.

“Exactly forty three years ago, but it was already too late, most animals were already in extinction or endangering entering that category.” A girl in the very front prompted.

“There's nothing we can do, just let him talk shit, it's the only thing he is good at.” Jisung's reply came after the answer, so low I could barely hear it.

“I won't let it slide.”

“Don't do anything stupid, Daniel.” he murmured.

I had the perfect opportunity for payback after lunch when Kim seonsaenin declared the for gym class we would only play dodgeball, he said he was going to go easy on us today because of the announcement later.

“Blow off some steam, forget a little about your university picks. No time limits, two balls in the game. Youngguk, Taedong, you choose your teams.” And then he stormed off, probably glad to be away from us.

I was the second to be picked by Youngguk to be part of his team, I joined Kenta and we bumped fists as Taedong chose next. “Jisung.”

Jisung was perplexed as I am as he walked with his mouth hanging open to Donghan's side, Taedong's first pick.

I looked at Jisung and we talked only with our eyes and facial expressions.

“ _What the hell?”_

“ _I have no idea what happened!”_

“ _I will kill the bastard”_

“ _Don't do that man, stay cool.”_

“Team Blue gather up, let's talk strategy” Youngguk went to our side of the field and I followed after getting one last “be chill” look from Jisung.

As Youngguk told us to concentrate in taking Taedong and Donghan out first, as they were the best players and after a few more tips, he ordered us to put our holodrones out of the way, and everyone was happy to oblige, no one wanted its own robot getting damaged, they cost a fortune. I sent Peach away, lingering by the bleachers. I spotted a few girls coming in the gymnasium, holodrones with a small red light blinking underneath them, near the magnets than made them float. Shit, they were streaming live.

The game started and it was madness. Taedong was fast, the dude could move, it seemed almost like he was dancing while dodging the balls we threw at him, but Donghan was their strong link, three of our guys went down like flies in the first two minutes because of him and we only got one of them.

The girls were cheering loudly every time someone got hit or when someone made a cool save, it was very distracting. That and their followers watching.

Donghan has a ball in his hand again and he is looking straight at me. He jumps and throws it like a pro, it's like a cannon ball coming at me. I launch myself backwards, narrowly missing the ground if it wasn't by my arms moving by instinct, my hands under me, supporting my body. A few girls clapped, Donghan hissed.

“Next time, Nugu.”

We took another one of the boys from their team down before I got the ball on my hands. I threw it with all my strength and barely hit Taedong, but it didn't miss, I hit a boy in the back of their cluster by luck.

We were all sweating from bolting around evading being eliminated. I had my eyes and senses set on Taedong, I wanted to be the one to take him out. I saw it all happen before my eyes before it actually did, Youngguk was too cocky, having just eliminated Jisung, he was aiming for Donghan and was totally exposed to Taedong, who had another ball in hand.

Youngguk was out. By then they had three players and only me and a skinny guy were what remained of Team Blue.

“Daniel, kick their asses!” Jisung screamed from the bleachers.

“Dude, he was not in your team.” The pink haired girl pointed out.

“Oh, I know,” and then he made his circle clapping, making me smile and loosen up a bit. “Daniel Fighting!”

I got another chance pretty fast when I caught a ball and barely kept for for a second before throwing it on Donghan's legs, taking him out. Jisung cheered with the girls. Loudly.

Taedong was furious as he gave all of his and threw at me a incredibly fast ball, I was about to move my hips and feet to the side and let it pass when I changed my mind.

“Oh shit” the other boy on my team said as he noticed I wasn't going to move.

I positioned my hands in front of me and full on grabbed the ball. It was silent for a few seconds but then the girls and my teammates started celebrating and the sound of Jisung's incessant clapping hit my ears. Taedong's cheeks were crimson, he just turned on his hills and walked out of the building.

I got the right to bring someone eliminated back in the game by catching a ball and I chose Youngguk and in seconds the game was over.

“Nice game, we should play a few more sometime.” I had barely spoke to Youngguk before but he seemed to be a pretty decent guy.

“Sure, man.”

Some of the guys gave each other boosters, Youngguk and me got the most from them and the girls.

“Bye Daniel!” One of them waved as we made our way to the showers, and another giggled.

“Bye Daniel” Jisung mocked, hitting me on the ribs. “Don't forget about me when you become famous dude.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You're seventeen thousand up.”

“No shit! It take me weeks to climb that much.”

“Guess a lot of people were watching and boosting you up,” he winked. “even get some girl fans.”

“Stop it, let's hurry up shower.” we both laughed, just enjoying the good mood while it lasted. I was sure it was going to end once the announcement begins.

 


End file.
